Turned
by Ritsul
Summary: After Alphonse is consumed by Kimbley's alchemy as well as Scar's plot, Edward is unsure of his next actions.
1. Background

So, after beginning my fanfiction, I realized I might as well add this in. This explains a little bit of what isn't explained well in the story. It gives you an idea of when during the story line this is and what differences there are. I'm sorry for the confusing set up. I did this from memory the first time and went back to fix it after watching the episode. Since I don't have time right now to rewrite the entire thing, I'll have to leave it for now.

If you want to just go watch the anime to explain it (because I'm really bad at it), episodes forty-one and forty-two should explain it all.

* * *

After hunting Scar to Liore, Ed finds out about the transmutation circle placed around the entire city. He tries to warn the military, but is eventually ignored. Meanwhile, Alphonse is turned into a time bomb by Kimbley (The Crimson Alchemist who specializes in exploding things). He is unable to move due to the chemical reaction. Before he is fully consumed by it, Scar transmutes his arm into Al's armor. By doing this he makes Alphonse the vessel for the philosopher's stone. He then activates the transmutation circle.

After all the citizens of Liore have been evacuated, Scar continues his plan. The military, at this time, has been led to believe that the people of Liore are planning an uprising and that they need to go in and stop them. This information is false, however, and Scar uses it for his plan. With the innocent citizens out of the way, Scar activates the transmutation circle just as the soldiers are sent into the city. These soldiers are turned into the Philosopher's stone which forms inside of Al's armor.

What I have changed from this story . . . Alphonse is consumed just as Scar activates the transmutation, so instead of being created inside of Al, the stone is just a normal Philosopher's stone. I have also changed the place that Al is laying. Instead of close to the center, surrounded by buildings, I have placed him towards the outside of the town, close enough to the edge to be seen by those outside the circle. Other than this, the changes are quite obvious.


	2. Chapter 1

For those of you who just jumped right in to chapter one, you may want to go back and read the background. It explains a bit of what is going on.

I will be posting parallel chapters later on that will include romance. I am separating them to allow a larger audience, and I know the fans of such things have patients.

Please let me know if you have questions, what you think, or just anything in general!

(And if you find any sort of mistake (spelling, grammar, consistency, etc.) please inform me!)

And I apologize for the odd formatting. I hope you can endure it.

* * *

Edward:

I felt the smooth, blood-red surface between my fingers. My brother . . . his soul was forced, crowded into that small stone, along with so many soldiers. I had seen the darkness spread through his armor, the chemical reaction started by Kimbley, the change that would turn him into a bomb. I was sure I saw it. I knew that Scar had activated the transmutation before Alphonse was consumed. I was so close, but from just outside that ring, I was unable to make it to my brother in time. He was lying just within the city, just out of reach.

I had dropped to my knees at the sight—so many people, including Alphonse, had been stripped of their souls which were compressed into the small rock I had in my hand. With the shouts of soldiers nearing, I bolted. I didn't know where to go, just that I had to leave. I wasn't sure if I could use my alchemy without drawing on the stone's power, so I avoided it. I found my way into hiding successfully from every passing officer without it. All I was thinking was that Resembool was south.

I had no idea how many days had past by the time I found the river. I hoped that the military would give up looking for me by then, but there was no guarantee. As I came upon our house, burnt to the ground and just a pile of timber and ashes, the tears began to flow. My brother, the only thing I had left, was gone.

I laid the stone down in the grass a safe distance away before I began gathering materials. When I was done, I clapped my hands together and started my transmutation. The house rose before me. I couldn't do much more than the main structure and a scarce amount of furniture with the materials I had. I probably could have done more with the help of the Philosopher's stone, but I didn't want to risk my brother's soul.

I stepped into the house, unsure of what to do. I began to believe that there was nothing left for me to accomplish.

Envy:

I wandered the area, cursing those lazy rats that sent me to do the dirty work. I wasn't sure how Sloth expected me to kill the Pipsqueak by myself, but I would have rather faced him than an angry Pride.

The pile of burnt logs sat next to the tree, as they must have for years. I jumped into the large tree to wait for the kid to show up. He sure took his time with it. I was thinking about how to escape the boredom without facing the fury of the others just as he showed up.

His alchemy was truly amazing. He rebuilt the entire house in one go. As I stepped inside after him, I was even more impressed. He managed to recreate a bunch of furniture, all without the stone.

I wandered the house until I found him curled in one of the beds. "Still sulking, eh, Pipsqueak?"

Edward:

I jumped. Why was he in my house? I tightened my grip on the stone, and I collapsed back onto the mattress; I was too tired to fight.

"What do you want?" I stared at the wall ahead of me.

"I've come for the stone." This pulled my glaring eyes toward him, daring him to try and take it. "But I knew you wouldn't give it up so easily."

I continued to stare. What did he mean by that? What was he going to do? I glanced to my hand, clenched around the gem.

"So, he's really in there. Your brother, I mean." He sounded a little regretful, but I pinned the feeling on Al and I messing up their plans. I nodded grimly.

After a moment, he spoke again, "You should just let him go."

I bolted upright. How dare he say something like that?

He sighed a little, "What I'm saying is that you can't bring him back, so don't try it. All that would happen is that he would become one of us, consumed with sin."

I had to admit that I had spent that entire time perfecting my theory on human transmutation. There were problems, though, and a lot of them. "Then what do I do? He's gone. I have nothing."

You could join us.


	3. Chapter 2

I apologize for any inconsistencies. (I don't even know if there are any.) And I apologize for how out of character Ed and Envy are. (It's a bit difficult to get in Envy's head.)

I updated the background chapter, since I just recently watched those episodes and I noticed a lot of things I had wrong. (Just to say.)

Please enjoy~ Let me know what you think or anything that you notice, please~

* * *

Edward:

"Join you?"

"Join us, become one of us, it's the same thing, really."

"Wh-what?" My confusion turned quickly to anger. "Why would I ever-"

"Fine. Fine. If that's your answer, I'll just be on my way," He turned for the door. There was no way he just offered that and then gave up. There had to be something more to it.

"W-wait. Wait." I was just about to jump up and grab him when he stopped. "Why?"

"You're going to have to be a bit more specific than that. Pipsqueak." His mocking tone was irritating.

"Why would you offer something like that?"

"I have my reasons." I should have guessed that he wouldn't give me a straight answer. There was some reason for it; I knew that for sure. Becoming one of them, . . . but why shouldn't I? I had nothing to lose, and it may have gotten me closer to getting Al back.

"Alright, I'll do it."

He looked completely surprised.

Envy:

He what? I took a moment to respond. I thought I had this kid all figured out. That is, until he did this.

"Um, alright. Let's go, then." He took a second to stand before following me. "We need an open space. Where you selfishly tried to bring back your mother should work fine." I wasn't sure if such a low blow was truly supposed to insult him or if it was to knock him out of that mood.

"Alright," was all he said as he led me to what must have been his father's study. He opened another door and we stepped inside. Although the room was a recreation of the original, it still had the feeling of death and despair. I looked around, planning out what would need to be done. Some clutter was laying on the counter, obviously created for nostalgia. I grabbed a paper and marker, and I began drawing out the correct circle.

When I finished, I showed him, "We need this."

"It . . . it's the same . . ." I assumed he was referring to the human transmutation circle he studied so much.

"Hm, it's pretty close." I handed him the paper and pointed to his right hand, the one that held the stone. "I suggest setting that down. Unless you'd like to waste your brother's soul to draw a circle."

He glared at me and tightened his grip. "And how do I know you won't take it and run?"

"I have more class than that, Pipsqueak. And I have no intention of getting killed by you."

He seemed to agree slightly because he placed the stone on the counter. Although, as far from me as possible. He stepped to the middle of the room and after some adjusting, we got the circle down right.

I stepped over and plucked up the stone, holding it above his head. "Now, you have to listen to me or you won't be getting this back." He calmed down a bit. "Now, we're going to use this for the transmutation. I know-"

"What! No way!" He began to jump for the stone.

I jumped onto the counter to keep away from him. "Ah, remember: you don't get this back unless you listen." He stopped jumping, but continued glaring at me. "Your brother's soul won't be lost. It will either go into you or stay in the stone, which is yours when we're done."

Edward:

I dropped my head. He won't be lost? How can they guarantee that? What if he is taken into the gate? But . . . these guys had been chasing after the stone for years; they must have known a lot about it. If I was able find Al's soul among the others trapped inside, I had a chance of bringing him back. I could have made a better body to bind him to. One that wasn't as bulky. We could have maybe gotten our bodies back with what was left of the stone.

I looked up at him. "Alright, let's do this."


	4. Chapter 3

So, I apologize for how out of character everyone is in this chapter.

If you find any mistakes or anything please let me know.

Thanks for reading~

* * *

Edward:

"So, basically you're going to use human transmutation on yourself," Envy had begun explaining what I needed to do. "Try to stay aware enough not to use all of the stone."

I nodded. I wasn't sure exactly what would happen, but I had already made up my mind. I went to the center of the circle as Envy told me, the stone in my hand. I took a deep breath, "Are you sure it won't hurt?"

He paused, looking at me for a second, "How should I know? I've never done it." At least it was an honest answer.

I made sure to think through what I would do before I started the reaction. I just needed to use human transmutation. I had studied so much on the subject, yet I knew so little about it. Although, I did know that it guaranteed a visit into the gate. After a few more calming breaths, I was ready. I reached down and activated the circle. There was no going back now.

Envy:

He dropped to the ground. The light of the transmutation was still bright, so I didn't get near. Once the glow faded out, though, I walked to him, and lifted his hand or what used to be his hand. There was still a decent amount of the stone left. I handed it back to him.

"Eat." His grotesque body needed nourishment to gain back a human form. Once he had consumed the stone, I realized that he would need more in order to look presentable. The problem was that I couldn't leave him to get more or bring him with me. I had no choice but to have someone deliver them.

I decided on Sloth, since she had the most control of them. I left the house long enough to find a public phone at the train station.

"Didn't I tell you not to call me here?" As unpleasant as ever.

"Well, I need a bit of help. Can you get me some supplies?" I heard her sigh and agree. She was sending Lust out, so I went back to the house. His mind had not yet returned; he needed more stones for that. Until Lust got there, I had nothing to do but sit around.

I woke with a jump as she stepped into the room.

"You know our master won't be too happy about this," She fed him some stones, but made sure to save some for later. We sat for awhile, continuously feeding him. He gained a form quicker than any homunculus I had seen. As night fell again and a storm brewed up, he finally started to look presentable. He had curled up in a corner, only responding to accept more stones. Although, after some more time, his mind seemed to come back. Shortly after, Lust left, bored of waiting.

Lust didn't ask me what I was thinking, but I was sure they all were wondering. Once I thought about it, I realized that I couldn't give them an answer.

Edward:

My head was pounding as I finally regained consciousness, and the booming thunder didn't help. When I looked up from my spot in the corner, Envy was messing with the things on the counter, seemingly bored.

Once he noticed I was awake, he moved towards me, "Finally up, Pipsqueak?"

I nodded a bit, not sure what had happened but too scared to ask. I glanced town and saw the marks. The trademark circles and lines of the homunculi traced up my legs and some down my arms. The Ouroboros tattoo practically glowed on my skin. I had actually agreed to this; I had done this.

I tried to look inside myself, wondering if Al's soul now shared my body as I willed it to. After a moment, I gave up and glanced around for the stone. When I couldn't find it, I looked up to Envy, "Where's the rest of the stone?"


	5. Chapter 4

Envy:

The train clacked, shifting a little around a curve. I barely managed to get him on the train

* * *

"The stone was used up." I could see the anger welling as he rose to unfamiliar feet. "But!" I held my hands up in front of me to hold him from rage long enough to explain. "Your bother's soul should still be there." This calmed him a little.

"If you come with us to central, we can see if we can help at all." Lust spoke out, drawing his attention as she stepped into the room.

* * *

"He's still quiet. He hasn't said a word since he woke up." Lust was pointing out the obvious.

"Well, not much we can do about it. Not that it matters, either." I made my way back to the seat. I didn't want to leave him by himself to think for too long, especially in this state. "Hey, Pipsqueak." That raised a small glare from him.

I sat down, "What's up, Little Pipsqueak?" He ignored that one.

Edward:

I turned to the window. His little comments meant nothing anymore. My arm and leg had been returned, thanks to Al; but I would gladly offer them again for my brother back.

The thought drew me to my Ouroboros mark, a stain in the middle of my hand. Just like Greed: my new identity. The feeling was already trying to consume me.

The screech of the breaks jogged me out of my thoughts as Envy stood to leave. He glanced back quickly to check that I was following. The ride to Central Command was short enough. Envy changed his form into a soldier before exiting the car. Once in the building, we headed for the elevator, passing a couple people on the way. Only one stopped us.

"Hey, Edward, It's been awhile." Lieutenant Hawkeye's grin disappeared as soon as she caught my expression.

"Yeah, it has," was all of a response I could give before turning to continue.

"I think the Colonel would like to talk to you," she wasted no time with hints.

"I'm sure he would." I stepped inside the lift and descended. Colonel Mustang would easily understand what happened, and a lecture would surely follow.

* * *

"Father," as they called him, looked exactly as Hohenheim. Although, I couldn't seem to care at that point. After a few comments from him that I obviously didn't pay attention to, he sent me back upstairs. I was put in a small guest room, left to wallow for a while.

Only a few minutes past before there was a knock on the door. I rolled my eyes, mocking Envy for forgetting something. After I gave no response, the door opened and Hawkeye stepped inside. The shock of her slightly shoved me out of my haze, but I slowly reverted as it wore off.

"Edward, what's happened?" She walked over to my side of the room, clearly worried. I simply responded with a shrug. "I heard about Liore… about Alphonse."

Hearing his name rattled me. I pulled away with a glare, forcing back my sadness and rage. This received a sight from Hawkeye as she realized the state I was in. She left and I was alone with my thoughts yet again.

* * *

I spent the rest of the day undisturbed save for a stone or two brought in by Envy as a present from "Father." After a few hours deep in thought, I was shaken up by slight taps. I didn't say anything still and allowed whoever it was to just come in at his own discretion.

As the door opened, it became apparent to me that the surprises would not cease. Her blonde hair seemed a bit longer and her expression gloomier. Registering this, I glanced back at the same window that had my attention for hours.

"E-Edward," Winry appeared unsure of herself for a moment before wrapping her arms around me. "I thought you were gone."

* * *

I know it's been a very long time since I've posted anything, especially for this story. So, here, chapter four is finally out. Soon to be followed by the already-written, but not-yet-typed chapter five.


End file.
